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Correct Comma Usage: Items in a Series
- 1. S P O T L I G H T O N : I T E M S I N A S E R I E S B Y : J E N N A C O N N E R - H A R R I S Correct Comma Usage
- 2. RULE #1: ITEMS IN A SERIES Unless all the items are joined by coordinating conjunctions, use a comma after all but the last item in a series of three or more items. COMMAS: John will be taking photos for National Geographic on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday of next week. NO COMMAS: I am not sure whether John will be in Virginia or Florida or New Jersey. COMMAS: Fredericksburg is a small, historic, interesting town. NO COMMAS: Fredericksburg is a small and historic and interesting town.
- 3. WITH ADJECTIVES To determine whether adjectives are coordinate and should be separated by a comma, say them in a different order and insert and between them. If the result makes sense, use a comma to separate the adjectives. EX: Our students expect intelligent, kind teachers. EX: We will have the picnic in the park if it is a bright, warm summer day. NO COMMAS: We ate with short white plastic forks.
- 4. Interactive Learning Activities, Test Your Knowledge Review interactive activity, commas with items in a series: Interactive Activity #1 Review interactive activity, comma usage with adjectives: Interactive Activity #2 Review interactive activity, comma usage to divide nouns:Interactive Activity #3 Review interactive activity, comma usage with verbs in a series: Interactive Activity #4
- 5. Reflect Your Mastery of Knowledge Log on to Blackboard onto the Discussion Board. Under the “Commas: Items in a Series” section, please post ten original sentences where you use commas correctly with ten sentences with items in a series with adjectives, ten sentences where you use commas correctly with commas to divide nouns, and ten sentences where you use commas to divide verbs written in a series.
- 6. Works Cited/Works Consulted Braden, Pamela. “Comma Usage.” West Virginia University at Parkersburg. Retrieved 25 October 2010. http://www.wvup.edu/jcc/pam/commas.htm Wagner, Fay. “Commas in a Series.” Wisconsin Technical College System. Retrieved 10 October 2010. http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC301 Wagner, Fay. “Commas in a Series: Nouns.” Wisconsin Technical College System. Retrieved 10 October 2010. http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC301a Wagner, Fay. Wisconsin Technical College System. “Commas in a Series: Verbs.” Retrieved 10 October 2010. http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC301b Wagner, Fay. “Commas in a Series: Adjectives.” Wisconsin Technical College System. Retrieved 10 October 2010. http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC301c Images, taken from Creative Commons: “Comma Splices Make Me Cry” bumper sticker. Retrieved 26 October 2010. http://www.cafepress.com “MC Hammer Grammar Time” image. Retrieved 22 October 2010. http://www.serclibrary.blogspot.com “The Comma Police” button. Retrieved 28 October 2010. http://www.zazzle.com
Editor's Notes
- Hello; this is Jenna Conner-Harris, and welcome to our unit on correct comma usage. Correct comma usage can be tricky, especially since it often requires learners to break bad habits they have reinforced over many years of writing. That is why I have broken down each of the comma rules into different, smaller chunks so that it is easy to understand. Also, I’ve tried to make this lesson a little more learner-centered and interactive. So let’s get started, shall we, and master comma usage!
- Rule #1: Comma Usage with Items in a Series. When it comes to commas, there are rules for using commas to divide nouns, verbs, and adjectives when the words are written in a series. Take a look at our next slide. The rule is, unless all the items are joined by coordinating conjunctions, use a comma after all but the last item in a series of three or more items.(If you don’t recall the coordinating conjunctions, you can check out the Grammar Rock video on conjunction junction on You Tube.) Here’s an example… John will be taking photos for National Geographic on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday of next week. NO COMMAS: I am not sure whether John will be in Virginia or Florida or New Jersey. When two or more adjectives separately modify the same noun, use a comma after each adjective except the last one, unless all the adjectives are joined by conjunctions. Here’s an example of what I am talking about: COMMAS: Fredericksburg is a small, historic, interesting town. NO COMMAS: Fredericksburg is a small and historic and interesting town. To determine whether adjectives are coordinate and should be separated by a comma, say them in a different order and insert and between them. If the result makes sense, use a comma to separate the adjectives.
- Our students expect intelligent, kind teachers. (Say: “Our students expect intelligent and kind teachers.” The result makes sense; therefore, the adjectives are coordinate and a comma should separate them.) We will have the picnic in the park if it is a bright, warm summer day. (Note that a comma is not used after warm because summer is not one of the coordinate adjectives. Saying “if it is a bright and warm and summer day” or “if it is a bright and warm and summer day” would not make sense; therefore, a comma is used only between bright and warm.) NO COMMAS: We ate with short white plastic forks. (Say: “We ate with plastic and short and white forks” and “we ate with white and short and plastic forks.” Neither sentence truly makes sense; therefore, the adjectives are not coordinate, and you will use no commas between them.)
- There is a fantastic web site, created by Winsconsin Technical College System’s faculty, which reinforces this lesson about comma usage with items in a series I would like for you to explore. I have included their link in my Power Point; I like it because, not only do they include the grammar rule about items in a series, but you get to “test” your knowledge with some sample practice exercises and receive immediate feedback. Please take a moment before you move on to make sure you have learned this rule about comma usage with items in a series and visit: http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC301 Then, I would like for you to try some more challenging exercises with items in a series with the interactive Power Points. Begin with the exercise on comma usage with adjectives, found at: http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC301c Then, I would like for you to try the interactive Power Point with using commas to divide nouns, found at: http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC301a Finally, I’d like for you to try the learning activities on commas to divide verbs written in a series, and then please complete the interactive learning activity, found at: http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=ABC301b You will also find additional information about this important rule about commas on Purdue Unversity's OWL site on your course syllabus as well as in your spiral textbook.
- After you have completed these exercises, I would like for you to go on Blackboard and show me you have mastered this lesson through your own original writings. Under the “Commas: Items in a Series” Discussion Board section, please post ten original sentences where you use commas correctly with items in a series with adjectives, ten sentences where you use commas correctly with commas to divide nouns, and ten sentences where you use commas to divide verbs written in a series... that is a total of 30 sentences that you will post. Later on in class, I will have you go back and change your previous essays, proofreading your writings against this comma rule for items in a series for correct comma placement.
- This last slide is our Works Cited page. As always, call me or email me if you have any questions!